Acid Pro software is the ideal loop-based music composition and production tool for original music creation. Revolutionary since the first version, the tradition of innovation continues with version 5. Powerful (new in version 5) features and advanced functionality make Acid Pro 5 the most comprehensive application of its kind. Acid Pro software is the tool of choice for millions of industry professionals who want to create songs, remix tracks, produce 5.1 surround audio mixes, develop music beds, score videos, and much more. Acid software is ideal for real-time pitch-shifting, time-stretching, and groove quantization of audio and MIDI events. With (new in version 5) technologies and advanced professional features, Acid software provides the most powerful, user-friendly environment for everything from basic song creation to complex video scoring.

The one and only Acid -- When it debuted in 1998, Acid Pro software launched a revolution in music creation. By offering a straightforward interface and "pick, paint, and play" interactivity, it was the first loop-based music creation application to put professional studio composition and editing power in the hands of producers at nearly every level of expertise. True to its revolutionary roots, Acid Pro 5 software is the power-user's application. (new in version 5) features such as Groove Mapping quantization tools, nestable folder tracks, native VST effects support, event reverse, and Sony's patent-pending Media Manager technology allow for levels of music production unmatched in any other program.

A solid foundation -- Acid software is built on rock-solid technology to provide you with an excellent foundation for loop-based music creation. Acid Pro 5 software also features a complete set of tools Sony calls Fundamentals -- the features you need to produce truly professional results. For example, Acid Pro 5 software has unlimited tracks for audio and MIDI events, real-time pitch and tempo matching, and impressive (new in version 5) Media Manager technology. Media Manager tools let you search, tag, and catalog your loops with incredibly accuracy and efficiency.

Get organized -- Powerful (new in version 5) Media Manager technology offers a more efficient way to manage your Acid project media. Innovative 'search and tag' tools allow you to quickly identify loops found on your hard-drive or even within the entire Sony Sound Series loops & samples collection -- by genre, instrumentation, BPM, or other user-defined and customizable attributes.

Superior mixing and editing -- (new in version 5) nestable folder tracks enhance project organization and simplify editing. Reverse audio events during playback in real-time. Set up and mix 5.1 channel surround project files for audio and DVD productions. The Beatmapper tool adds tempo information to song-length files including MP3s, so you can remix and combine music loops with existing songs. The Chopper tool creates amazing drum fills, stutters, and DJ-style effects.

Cutting-edge audio effects -- Apply over 20 DirectX audio effects, including the (new in version 5) tempo-based effects such as flange, amplitude modulation, and simple delay that automatically adjust to project-based tempo changes. You can also create resonant sweeps, dramatic fades, EQ changes, and add effects using automation envelopes. Acid Pro 5 software also natively supports VST effects, expanding the palette of sounds available for music creation. Apply automation and tempo-sync VST effects. Use VST soft synths with multiple busses.

Your quantization station -- (new in version 5) and unique to Acid Pro 5 software is Sony's powerful and patent-pending groove quantization technology. Groove Mapping and Groove Cloning can significantly expand your loop collection by morphing existing loops into fresh, (new in version 5) sounds. Beat-match loops and vocal tracks nondestructively in real-time. Quantize disparate loops to a common groove, create (new in version 5) grooves from scratch, apply any number of the supplied grooves, and even extract grooves from existing loops and apply them to other samples.

Work Smarter with Media ManagerThe Acid Pro 5 Media Manager technology provides powerful (new in version 5) ways to tag, organize, and search your collection of loops so you can quickly find just the right media for your Acid compositions. The Media Manager feature maintains a database of your media, including file attributes, Acid metadata, and tags that you can assign to classify your media. Install the Media Reference Library to automatically tag existing Sony Sound Series (formerly Loops for Acid) loops & samples on your hard drive. Listed below are just some of the things you can do with this exciting (new in version 5) technology.

Build your media library automatically -- The Media Manager can scan your computer drives to automatically add files to your library. Click the Add Files to Media Library button. Specify each folder you want to scan, choose the type of media you want to add and click the Search button. The Media Manager searches the specified folders for media and adds anything it finds to the current library.

Preview and add media directly from the Media Manager -- Use the same techniques that you use in the Explorer window to preview files in your library. Select a file in the library, and click the Start Preview button to listen to the file even while your project plays so you can evaluate the media along with your composition. To end preview, click the Stop Preview button. Click the Auto Preview button so that preview starts automatically when you select a file. When you find the file you want, drag it directly from the Media Manager into your project timeline.

Refine library entries and searches -- To tailor your library to your exact needs, create custom tags and apply them to the media entries in your libraries. In the Search pane, click a tag that resides at the level at which you want to add the (new in version 5) tag. Click the Add Tag button. Change the name of the (new in version 5) tag to whatever will help you search most effectively. Now apply the tag to your library entries and search on it just as you would any of the default tags.

Create extremely targeted searches with advanced search tools -- In the Advanced section of the Search pane, you can customize your searches to be extremely targeted. Click the Add (new in version 5) Search Criteria button. In the Search Criteria Chooser, double-click each criterion on which you want to search. Adjust the parameter controls of the criteria to tailor your search. Select the checkboxes for each criterion that you want to use.

Expand your media search with reference libraries -- Use the Sony Sound Series: Loops and Samples reference library to search the vast collections of media files available from the Sony Sound Series. From the Acid Pro installation disc, install the Sony Sound Series Library. Choose Options from the Media Library Actions drop-down list, and choose Sony Loops and Samples from the Reference Library drop-down. Click OK and click the Switch to Reference Library button. Select a file in the Search Results pane and click the Buy Now link in the Product Information pane to get more information, preview the file, and buy the associated loop collection.

Recall your search history -- As you work through different searches in your library, you may want to return to a search you conducted earlier. Rather than trying to remember how to reconstruct a complex search, click the Previous Search button to scroll through your search history. Once you've scrolled back through your history this way, click the Next Search button to scroll through in the opposite direction.

Mixing and Editing FeaturesAcid Pro 5 software has the professional-level mixing and editing features you need to get the results you want. Packed with additional features, Acid Pro 5 software removes all limits. Use it for anything; songwriting, production, mixing, remixing, video scoring -- anywhere you need original music. Version 5 further establishes Acid software at the forefront of music creation technology.

Bus-to-bus routing (new in version 5) -- New bus-to-bus routing allows the creation of complex sub-mixes.

Downmix monitoring (new in version 5) -- Acid Pro 5 software provides real-time downmix previewing of audio from 5.1 surround to stereo, or from stereo to mono, to ensure that your mix will sound as intended no matter what the destination playback device.

Enhanced audio time stretching (new in version 5) -- Acid Pro 5 software includes enhanced beat marker-editing in the track properties. Edit beat anchors and stretch markers to map your loop to a specific beat and preview the results in real time. Apply 19 new user-definable timestretch modes to Beatmapper-synched tracks and choose the resampling method that best fits your Acid media.

Envelope changes applied to multiple selected events (new in version 5) -- With Acid Pro 5, you can multiselect events and change the envelope levels simultaneously.

Drop one-shots in real-time (new in version 5) -- Insert loops and one-shots as you project plays back. You can also create your own loops in the Chopper and add them to the timeline in real-time during playback via keyboard commands for live mixing.

5.1 Surround mixing -- Acid Pro 5 software makes it easy to set up and mix 5.1 channel surround project files for audio and DV productions. Use the Surround Panner dialog to easily set channel positions. Surround mixing is fully automatable along the timeline by setting keyframes for each move.

Beatmapper remixing tool -- Use the Beatmapper tool to add tempo information to song-length files, including MP3s, to remix and combine music loops and create original mixes. Add beats, overlay samples, and give your songs an exciting new edge.

Chopper loop editing tool -- The Chopper editing tool creates amazing drum fills, stutters, and DJ-style effects. You can also use the Chopper to "clone" loops, create chopped events, tweak separate parts of your loops, and even mix slices of multiple loops to create your own customized samples. All chopped events will play in sync with your Acid projects. You can also use keyboard commands to drop events from the Chopper onto the Acid timeline in real-time.

Video scoring track -- Compose an original soundtrack for your video right inside the Acid software workspace. Just import your clip, set your markers, and watch your soundtrack's tempo lock to the visual cues of your choice. Drop one-shot sounds on your hit points, work independently with your video file's associated audio media, and render the finished project out in a wide variety of formats.

Effects and MIDI FeaturesThough incredibly easy to use, Acid Pro software takes no shortcuts when it comes to providing sophisticated features advanced users require. Version 5 provides enhanced MIDI functionality, expanded support for ReWire and VST effects, and Sony's exclusive Groove Mapping quantization technology. These and other features put Acid Pro once again it in a class by itself.

Groove Mapping quantization (new in version 5) -- Groove Mapping quantization tools breathe new life into your loop collection. Acid Pro 5 software includes over 50 grooves (hard swing, shuffle, etc.) you can apply to your loops and MIDI files to change the rhythmic feel, or create your own custom grooves. Adjust the timing of a track, or quantize and map multiple tracks or loops to a common groove. Use the Groove Cloning tool to extract the groove from one file to apply to others. You can even share the grooves you create with other Acid Pro 5 users.

ReWire mixer and device support (new in version 5) -- Acid Pro software works as both a ReWire mixer/host and a device/instrument. Use Acid software as part of your synchronized workflow with compatible applications such as Sonar, Nuendo, Cubase SX, Live, or Pro Tools software.

Plug-in Manager (new in version 5) -- The Plug-In Manager lets you quickly add effects from the window to a track, bus, assignable effects chain, or soft synth bus. You can also easily rename and organize plug-ins.

Bypass all effects (new in version 5) -- Bypass all audio effects (track, bus, and assignable effects) during playback so you can quickly compare your project with or without effects applied.

Change the groove of a track -- It's easy to apply a groove to the tracks in your project. In the Window Docking area, click the Groove Pool tab. From the top section of the Groove Pool, drag the groove you want to use onto the desired track. Notice that a groove event is displayed along the bottom of the track. Increase the track height to see the groove name and zoom in to see a visual representation of the groove in the groove event. Drag a different groove onto the track to replace the current groove.

Applying different grooves to the same track -- You can apply many different grooves to a single track to really build interest into your composition. Click the Groove Tool drop-down arrow in the main Acid Pro button bar and choose the desired groove. This also selects the Groove Tool. Drag the Groove tool across a small section of a track. Choose a different groove from the drop-down list and paint that groove across a different section of the track. A track can have as many different groove sections as you want.

Extracting a groove from one file and applying it to another -- If one of your tracks has a rhythmic feel (a groove) that you want to use on a different track, right-click the first track's track header and choose Add to the Groove Pool from the pop-up menu. Now, click the Groove Pool tab to bring it forward if it's not already visible and notice that a (new in version 5) groove (with the name of the file on the track from which you extracted it) appears in the Groove Pool. Use the methods outlined above to add this (new in version 5) groove to any other track in your project. The tracks now share the same groove.

Create custom grooves -- Modify an existing groove and save the modified version as a new groove. In the Groove Pool, select one of the existing grooves and click the Duplicate Selected Grooves button. Adjust the blue Pre-Groove markers to change the groove. Or, create a brand new custom groove entirely from scratch. Click the new Groove button. Again, adjust the blue Pre-Groove markers.

Using track properties to create new grooves -- Modify the track properties of an existing track and create a new groove based on those modifications. Right-click the track header for a track and choose Properties from the pop-up menu. In the Track Properties dialog, click the Stretch tab and make adjustments to the various markers. Click the Play Quantized button to hear how your changes affect the rhythm of the file. Click the Play button to hear the file in its original rhythm. When you're happy with the changes you've made, click the Add to Groove Pool button. The new groove now appears in the Groove Pool.

Export Custom Grooves -- After you've created a new groove, you might decide that it would work well in other projects too. You can export the groove so that you can use it in any project or share it with a partner. In the Groove Pool, select the groove you want to export from the list. Click the Export Selected Groove button. You can save the groove to any location on your computer drives that you want.

Get additional loops at any time from Sony's ever-expanding collection of loop libraries. The Sony Sound Series loops & samples collection is the world's foremost resource for royalty-free music samples and effects content. These studio-quality samples, attractively packaged on CD-ROM, are available in nearly every music style and genre imaginable. Sony's incredible breadth of content is just one reason why Sony's loops are prized by music enthusiasts and professional music producers at every level of ability -- including top names in the entertainment industry.

Native Instruments Xpress Keyboards VSTi soft synth bundle -- Expand your palette of sounds with the Xpress Keyboards VSTi soft synth bundle from Native Instruments. These synths include three software music instruments that combine an outstanding sound with incredible ease-of-use. The bundle includes the Xpress versions of the B4, PRO-53, and FM7, making it the perfect option for instrumentalists who see themselves first and foremost as musicians and who want to get straight to making music. This bundle is valued at $119 and is included free with Acid Pro 5 software.

Publish to Acidplanet.com -- Acid Pro software features one-click publishing* to Acidplanet.com -- the world's top Internet site for online sharing of music and videos. Give and receive feedback on music from other professionals. Join the Acidplanet ProZone service and get additional member benefits including your own discography and merchandise pages.

*One-click publishing requires an Internet connection from your PC to the Web.